(As Mrinmoyee in Ray’s Samapti when she was 14-15 years of age)
Abstract:
This article explores the life and times of the legendary Bengali actress turned director- Aparna Sen. The focus is on her directorial ventures, and legacy because her acting and performance history would require another volume of work! Lastly, it is not feasible, to sum up, the life of the versatile genius as she continues to actively work in films, literature and beyond, and we hope to watch many more marvels from her in the upcoming years!
“This is not a case of me preaching for or against anything. I don’t take any sides” (Aparna Sen, actor, filmmaker, writer)
The name Aparna Sen, to the eyes, ears, hearts and souls of cinema lovers, especially in the Bengali context, is a ravishing phenomenon- a legendary actress turned filmmaker who heralded a new era in the history of Indian cinema. One of the leading ladies of Bengali cinema, Sen is often venerated as the first Indian female director to find her own voice and space on the big screen to tell stories of the female self and interpersonal relationships. In 1982, at a time when ‘female’ directors were unheard of, Sen took control over the camera with 36 Chowringhee Lane, her first feature film- in English, an even more unheard of thing! Shashi Kapoor produced this heart wrenching tale of the Anglo-Indian teacher, Violet Stoneham, performed by Jennifer Kendal Kapoor, exploring the life of an English teacher, who is left behind, forgotten and invisibilized in a modern and increasingly insensitive world where there is no room left for nostalgia.
Aparna was born on 25 October, 1945, in a Bengali family, originally from Cox's Bazar in Chittagong District (now in Bangladesh). Her father was the veteran critic and filmmaker Chidananda Dasgupta whose work on Satyajit Ray is considered seminal. Her mother Supriya Dasgupta, a National-Award-winning costume designer, was a relative of prolific Bengali poet Jibanananda Das (Supriya Das, a daughter of Brahmananda Dashgupta, brother of poet Jibanananda Das). Aparna Sen (erstwhile Dasgupta) spent her childhood in Hazaribagh and Kolkata and did her schooling from Modern High School for Girls, Kolkata. She studied for her B.A. in English at Presidency College, but did not complete the degree.
Satyajit Ray and her father, Chidananda Dasgupta, were among the founding members of the Calcutta Film Society in the late 1940s. Thus, little Aparna grew up in an atmosphere where her mind was nurtured by the greats of Indian cinema and was exposed to discussions on world cinema. Aparna recollects being an avid film lover and watching movies ever since she could remember. She made her acting debut at the age of 15, when she played the role of Mrinmoyee in Ray’s Samapti which was a part of the 1961 trilogy Teen Kanya (Three Daughters). This memorable role marked the historic beginning of Aparna’s initiation into the film industry and her lifelong journey as a Ray protégé. She acted in numerous films, directed many, won brilliant praise and accolades but ‘Manik kaku’ (what she called Ray), remained a strikingly influential shadow in her life and works. In an interview published in “The Cinema of Satyajit Ray” by Bhaskar Chattopadhyay, Aparna states-
“Satyajit Ray worked with outdated machines and limited resources, and yet managed to make films that shook the world. I have the greatest admiration for him. But it is because I have so much admiration for him that I also feel that one must not turn him into a god who is above all criticism. Just like Rabindranath Tagore. There is a predilection among Bengalis to turn Tagore into a god. But that, in fact, is a way of diminishing him, really. To my mind, accepting the fact that he was human and fallible but at the same time a genius is the mark of true respect.”
This truly defines the personality of Aparna Sen! Her formidable filmography as a director, includes- 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981), Paroma (1985), Sati (1989), Picnic (1989, TV), Yugant (1995), Paromitar Ek Din (2000), Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002), 15 Park Avenue (2005), The Japanese Wife (2010), Iti Mrinalini: An Unfinished Letter... (2010), Goynar Baksho (2013), Saari Raat (2015), Arshinagar (2015), Sonata (2017), Ghawre Bairey Aaj (2019). Some of these films have changed, not just the course of Indian cinema, but also have changed perspectives of Indian film audiences, especially path breaking films like Paroma which portrays the dilemmas of an unfaithful person (female) in a conventional marriage with so much sensibility and honesty. And then there are films like Paromitar Ek Din and 15 Park Avenue which are exceptionally nuanced portrayals of the lives of caregivers and family members of children with disabilities and with schizophrenia, respectively. Sen’s anti-fundamentalist, secular political position is clearly pronounced with films like Mr. and Mrs. Iyer and Ghawre Bairey Aaj.
In addition to her magnificent acting and directing careers, Aparna Sen has served on juries at film festivals around the world. In 1989 she was a member of the jury at the 16th Moscow International Film Festival. In 2008, she was elected into the International Jury of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. In 2013, she headed the jury of the second Ladakh International Film Festival.
Sen is also a prolific reader and writer, and her active involvement with translations, editorials, book launches in the city of Kolkata has been decades long. From 1986 to 2005, Sen was the editor of the fortnightly Sananda, a Bengali women's magazine (published by the Ananda Bazar Patrika group) that enjoys equal popularity in West Bengal and Bangladesh. From November 2005 to December 2006, she was associated with the Bengali 24x7 infotainment channel Kolkata TV as Creative Director. In 1987, the then President of India, Giani Zail Singh bestowed the Padma Shri on Aparna Sen in recognition of her brilliant contribution to Indian cinema. Since then, she has received several lifetime achievement awards.
In 2021, Sen directed her third Hindi film The Rapist, starring her daughter Konkona Sen Sharma alongside Arjun Rampal, Tanmay Dhanania and others. The Rapist won the prestigious Kim Jiseok Award at the 26th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), and we hope goes on to win many more laurels. In a recent interview Sen sums up the crux of her film-
“Why does a man become a rapist?’ He is not born a rapist. He goes through infancy, childhood, youth with a fair amount of innocence. Is it his surroundings that make him like this? Is it some incident in his childhood? Is it genetic? These are the questions that were in my mind, and these are the questions I have put into the film”
She goes on to clarify that nothing justifies the act of rape, and her film is an exploration and not a justification at any level. When asked about any fears of the consequences of making such hard-hitting films on such sensitive topics, Aparna Sen says-
“I am not scared. What will happen? I have lived my life. I am 75. I have lived my life on my own terms without anything happening to me so far. Now they can put me in jail if they want to.”
These lines echo her undiminished fervor for social and political upliftment of all genders- a living legend, and pioneer of Indian cinema- Aparna Sen.
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About the Author:
Pronita is currently studying English Literature at the University of Delhi. She is an art enthusiast with a love for writing, reading and cinema. She hopes to debunk the multiple stereotypes associated with Humanities Studies and become a worthy English Professor to her future students. She can’t wait to meet them! On most days Pronita chooses sleep over everything else, and on some everything else oversleep.